Not Flat No

Rob Heppell

how can we talk about the missing in the room

do we put the room into the space we share

or do we put ourselves outside

when we are outside
then we should think about how to reach inside again
do we do it with robotic dogs?
or do we do it through layers of concrete
enhanced with infra red vision
from a satellite in orbit
into our old inside

what was it we did by telling you we were outside?

i think i left the kettle on, the cats not been fed
save it I’ve called an airstrike

all that you see before you will be reduced to the ground.
splintered concrete iron rods still sticking out
they hadnt even finished building the house.

and we bombed it

not flat no left it standing partially
bits of the roof
bits of the stairs

all their clothes and bits of you know everywhere
that way itll take them longer to rebuild

not really flat at all
dont you remember what the peace we told you was like?
you know all over the place over there

bombed it from the sky
because we decided that it would be better if it was like that
and we have these

so you know

how can we talk about the missing in the room

do we put the room into the space we share

or do we put ourselves outside

because a wall is a door through which a people enters

and gets turned into the worst kind of thing.